Support assembly

Abstract

A support assembly for supporting an element and for rotating that element between a first position and a second position. The support assembly may be used to support an armrest pad and is suitable for use on watercraft. The assembly includes an arm extending from a knuckle assembly. The arm engages the armrest pad, while the knuckle assembly is disposed in a pocket of a cap assembly. The knuckle assembly rotates within the pocket to move the arm and armrest pad between the first and second positions. A pair of washers and a bushing is abutted with an end of the arm to form the knuckle assembly. The thickness of the washers facilitates a frictional engagement inside the pocket between the knuckle assembly and the cap assembly. Stops are provided to limit the rotational travel of the knuckle within the pocket.

1 . A support assembly for securing an armrest pad to a supporting structure, said support assembly comprising:
 a cap assembly adapted to be secured to the supporting structure;   a pocket defined in the cap assembly;   an arm assembly comprising:
 an arm adapted to be secured to the armrest pad; and 
 a knuckle provided on the arm; wherein the knuckle is receivable within the pocket. 
   
     
     
         2 . The support assembly as defined in  claim 1 , wherein knuckle is retained within the pocket by friction. 
     
     
         3 . The support assembly as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the knuckle is rotatable within the pocket. 
     
     
         4 . The support assembly as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the arm assembly is rotatable between a first position and a second position; and when in the first position the arm assembly is adapted to hold the armrest pad in a generally horizontal orientation; and when in the second position the arm assembly is adapted to hold the armrest pad in a generally vertical orientation. 
     
     
         5 . The support assembly as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the arm includes a generally planar top surface adapted to be secured to the armrest pad; and the knuckle rotates about an axis disposed at right angles to the top surface of the arm. 
     
     
         6 . The support assembly as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the knuckle includes:
 a pair of opposed side surfaces;   a projection extending outwardly from each side surface, said projections being aligned with each other along a common axis; wherein the projections are received within a pair of spaced apart recesses defined in the cap assembly; and wherein the knuckle is rotatable relative to the cap assembly about the common axis.   
     
     
         7 . The support assembly as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the cap assembly comprises:
 a first cap element and a second cap element which are positioned in a side-by-side arrangement; wherein each of the first and second cap elements includes:
 a first region engageable with the knuckle; and 
 a second region adapted to be secured to the supporting structure; and wherein the pocket is defined between the first region of the first cap element and the first region of the second cap element. 
   
     
     
         8 . The support assembly as defined in  claim 7 , further comprising a bushing located between the first and second regions; and wherein the bushing forms part of the pocket in which the knuckle is received. 
     
     
         9 . The support assembly as defined in  claim 8 , wherein the knuckle includes a curved exterior surface, and the exterior surface is complementary in curvature to an inner surface of the bushing and is positionable adjacent the inner surface of the bushing. 
     
     
         10 . The support assembly as defined in  claim 8 , further comprising a pair of washers, where each washer is located adjacent an opposite side surface of the knuckle and between the knuckle and a side wall of one or the other of the first regions of the first and second cap elements. 
     
     
         11 . The support assembly as defined in  claim 8 , wherein the first region of each of the first and second cap elements includes:
 a side wall;   a flange extending outwardly from the side wall;   an annular groove defined by the side wall and the flange; and   wherein the bushing is engaged in the annular grooves of the first and second cap elements.   
     
     
         12 . The support assembly as defined in  claim 8 , further comprising a stop provided on one or both of the first regions of the first and second cap elements; said stop limiting the degree of rotation of the knuckle within the pocket. 
     
     
         13 . The support assembly as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising a base adapted to secure the cap assembly to the supporting structure; wherein the base includes a front wall, a rear wall and side walls extending between the front and rear walls; and the cap assembly is engaged with the front wall and extends outwardly and forwardly away therefrom; and the rear wall is adapted to abut an exterior surface of the supporting structure and is securable thereto. 
     
     
         14 . The support assembly as defined in  claim 13 , wherein the base is free of fasteners which are accessible on the front wall or side walls of the base. 
     
     
         15 . The support assembly as defined in  claim 14 , further comprising one or more studs which extend outwardly from the rear wall of the base; said studs being adapted to be received through apertures in the exterior surface of the supporting structure. 
     
     
         16 . The support assembly as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising a pair of washers located within the pocket of the cap assembly on either side of the knuckle; and wherein the knuckle includes a pair of projections extending outwardly therefrom in opposite directions and each projection passes through an aperture defined in the associated washer and is received within a recess defined in an interior wall of the cap assembly. 
     
     
         17 . The support assembly as defined in  claim 16 , wherein the projections are aligned along a common axis and the knuckle rotates about that axis between a first position and a second position. 
     
     
         18 . The support assembly as defined in  claim 17 , wherein the washers are selected from a group of washers of different thicknesses, and the thickness of the selected washers positioned adjacent the knuckle is such that the knuckle is tightly retained in the pocket by friction. 
     
     
         19 . A method of moving an armrest pad between a first position and a second position, the method comprising the steps of:
 securing the armrest pad onto an arm assembly extending from a knuckle assembly;   locating the knuckle assembly in a pocket of a cap assembly;   securing the cap assembly to a base;   securing the base to a supporting structure; and   rotating the knuckle assembly within the pocket to move the armrest pad between the first position and the second position.   
     
     
         20 . A method of supporting an element, the method comprising the steps of:
 securing the element onto an arm extending from a knuckle assembly;   locating the knuckle assembly in a pocket of a cap assembly;   securing the cap assembly to a base;   securing the base to a supporting structure.   
     
     
         21 . The method as defined in  claim 20 , further comprising the step of selectively rotating the knuckle assembly within the pocket to move the element between a first position and a second position.